Life behind the veil at HBRC

As
councillors get into gear for the coming year, it’s clear
that secrecy will be the preferred modus operandi of the HB
Regional Council.

At our first meeting on 29 January, the
precedent has already been set.

At that meeting, we
deliberated two agenda items in ‘public-excluded’
session.

The outcome of the first item has now been
announced to the public. In that matter, we commissioned two
independent reports that will be critical to evaluating the
financial and economic viability of the proposed dam. One
study, to be completed by Deloitte, will examine the
financial/economic case for the dam and the risks involved
in a HBRC (i.e., ratepayer) investment (if any) of $80
million in it. A second study, to be completed by
Nimmo-Bell, will identify and evaluate alternative
investments of scale that could be made to advance the
strategic goals of the Regional Council.

There is
absolutely no reason why the terms of reference for these
studies could not have been released to the public in
advance, and councillors’ interrogation of the candidate
firms be witnessed. Indeed, public observation of the
process would have been reassuring to skeptics of the
proposed scheme. Financial terms and councillors’
deliberations over the candidates could have readily been
kept private.

I’m comfortable with the assignments that
have been awarded. However, I am not comfortable with the
extremely short window the consultants have been given —
essentially one month — to complete their assignments.
This is just another example of the groundless determination
of HBRC/HBRIC to hurry, hurry, hurry. Here’s where
‘hurry’ takes you …

Even the Board of Inquiry has
asked for additional time to complete its deliberations …
and that time has been granted. If the BOI needs more time
after seven months to do its job well, surely so do these
consultants need more than four weeks.

The second item
considered in public excluded was publicly titled: “HBRIC
Ltd Staff Remuneration Request”.

I can say nothing about
the content of that item at this time. However, a number of
councillors, myself included, are challenging the
Council’s handling of the matter. We will fight to make
public the decision taken, its documentation, and the votes
cast. Watch this space.

The penchant for secrecy didn’t
end there on the 29th.

Once the public excluded portion of
the meeting was declared ended, thereby ending the official
Council meeting (of course with media and the public long
since gone), Chairman Fenton Wilson offered councillors the
‘opportunity’ to receive an update briefing on the dam
from HBRIC Chairman Andy Pearce, who had been on hand for
the second public excluded agenda item, and was still
present.

Pearce began a presentation, but it was quickly
noted that the ground rules were murky as to whether this
briefing was to be considered public or confidential.
Indeed, what was the official status of the ‘meeting’ at
that point?

You’ll recall that Councillors Barker,
Beaven, Graham and myself have been asking for a full public
de-brief on the scheme ever since we were elected … a
request that was re-issued days before the 29 January
meeting and to which Chairman Pearce acceded. But, we were
told, the briefing couldn’t be accommodated on that
day.

After a bit of posturing by various councillors, it
became clear that I was the party regarded with suspicion.
[Councillor Barker had left immediately at the close of the
official meeting to catch a plane.] The question on the
table: If other councillors wished to proceed with an
informal confidential briefing, would I pledge to report
nothing of it?

I declined to participate in a rump private
meeting. I gave my view that it’s past time for the public
to have a wide-open look at the total scheme, with all its
aspects and assumptions on the table. It’s time to take
off the veil.

So I left the ‘meeting’ — or whatever
it was — and the briefing commenced.

For me, the
principle of transparency is paramount. I made that as clear
as I possibly could during my election campaign and voters
responded positively.

My intention is to press the HBRC
towards transparency — the only basis of public
accountability — at every opportunity. I intend to press
the boundaries … vigorously. Anything less and I would be
failing to keep faith with my constituency.

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